Ruffling attachment for sewing-machines



No Model.)

' G. H. SPRING.

RUPFLING ATTAGHMENT FOR SEWING MAUHINES.

plan view of the frame detached. Fig. 8 is an lhvrren STATES Parent(levies.

GEORGE E. SPRING, OF BATH, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EDFVARD J.

SUGRU, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK. Y

RUFFLING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWlNG-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 295,301, dated March18, 1884.

Application filed June (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. SPRING, of Bath, Steuben county, New York,have invented certain Improvements in Ruflling Attachments forSewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had. to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to certain improvements in ruiiling attachments forsewing-machines, which improvements are fully described in the followingspecification, and the novel features thereof pointed out in the claims.

My improved ruffling attachment is represented in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure lis a side elevation. Fig. 2 is an endelevation. Figl 3 is a view of the vibrating slotted lever detached.Fig. 4c is a plan view. Fig. 5. is a plan view of the vibrating slottedlever detached. Fig. 6 is a section on the line :0 a, Fig. Fig. 7 is aend view of the sliding connection between the vibrating lever and th eblade-carrier. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the sliding blade-carrierdetached. Fig. 10 represents the needle-bar and attached roller foractuating the vibrating lever. Fig. 11 is an inverted view. Fig. 12represents a modification.

In the accompanying drawings, representing my improved rufflerattachment, A is the. cloth-plate or bed of the sewing-machine; B, theneedle-bar; O, the vibrating lever; D, the presser-bar; E, thesupporting-frame attached to the lower end of the presser-bar; G, thesliding blade-carrier,- and H the miller-blade. The supportingframe E isattached to the lower end of the presser-bar by the screw a, Fig. 1, sothat the ruffling attachment maybe substituted for the ordinarypresser-ibot. The frame extends in each direction from the needle-bar inthe line of the feed of "the machine, being constructed to affordsupport for the forward end of the sliding blade-carrier in front of theneedle, and to sustain the vibrant ing lever G in rear thereof. Theframe also carries the stationary spring-blade I. The presser-bar isfitted .to a notch, c, Fig. 7, in the supporting-frame. The slottedlever O is vibrated on the pivot in the rear end of thesupporting-frame, as indicated by the full and dotted lines in Figs. 2and l, by the roller or stud a, attached to a collar, F, on theneedlebar, working in the inclined slot Z) in the curved plate on theend of the lever C. The

.pin g is inserted in the arm f on the supporting-frame below the lever,the upper end of the pin beingsustained, if preferred, by the bent armf, reaching upward from the frame. The lever C is bent on itself incurved form, as represented most clearly in the plan view, Fig. 5, thebent portion or plate 1) being made of suitable shape and size tocontain the inclined slot 12, in which the roller it travels. The slot6- terminates at either end in the straight or vertical parts 0 0, Fig.3, the object of this construction being to secure the movement oftheblade H in either direction while the needle (Z is traversing thecentral part of its up anddown movement, and to keep the bladestationary at the extremities of the reciprocation of the needle. Thecurved plate 1) of the vibrating lever passes between the needle-baiandthe presser-bar, as represented in Figs. The sliding blade-carrier isattached to the frame E, so that it inayreciprocate thereon, by

the button or lug g, which projects through the slot 2. and laps overits edges. The slot t is widened at a, Fig. 9, for the purpose ofpermitting the removal of the blade-carricr from the frame. At its rearend the blade-carrier is pivotally connected with the arm j of thevibrating lever C- in such manner that the distance traveled by theblade may be varied. The arm projects outward from the lever above theblade-carrier, and is provided with a slot, 7.5, in which the pivot Z isarranged to slide, being adjusted therein by the screw-rod i, having atits outer end the thumb-nut c, and supported in suitable bearings ateither end of the arm. The screw-rod '5 passes through a threaded holein the sliding pivot Z. Below the arm j the pivot passes freely throughthe block in, which is arranged to slide in the slot as, Fig. 9, in thebladecarrier. By moving the pivot 1 toward the pin 9, by the rotation ofthe screw-rod i, the throw of the blade-carrier is reduced, and viceversa, the movement of the blade H being correspondingly reduced orincreased.

In order to form a guide for the rear end of the sliding blade-carrier,a flange, 3 Fig. 9, is turned up on its edge, which flange fits a groovein the lower side of the arm f of the supporting-frame. (See Fig. 11.)

The operation of my improved ruffler attachment will be readilyunderstood from the preceding description. Y

The cloth is inserted above the spring I and below the ruffler-blade H,and the sewing-machine being operated in the usual manner, the clothwill be ruflied or plaitcd by the reciprotion of the blade H.

In order to vary the position of the serrated edge of the ruffling-bladeat the extremity of its stroke, I make the slots and as at an angle withthe line of the reciprocation of the blade-carrier. WVhen at mid-throwof the lever 0, the slot k is about at right angles with the line offeed of the machine. The slot as is also inclined with this'line, asrepresented in the drawings, the result of this arrangement being thatwhen the ruffler-blade is making its shortest throwthat is, when thepivot Z is in the position represented by the full lines in Fig. 11-theserrated edge of the blade comes even with or projects a short distancebeyond the edge of the stationary blade I, as represented at b, Fig. 11,while when the pivotl is at Z the edge will project farther beyond thestationary blade, as represented at 0. By placing the slot 70 at rightangles with the radial line joining the pivot g and the central point ofthe slot 1) in the plate 1), I reduce as much as possible the frictionon the pivotal connection between the arm j of the lever and the slidingblade-carrier. The placing of the slot 00 at an angle with the slidingblade-carrier G has practically the result of varying the length'of theblade-carrier when the pivotal connection with the arm j is shifted inthe slot 90. Changing the length of the blade-carrier causes therufflingblade to travel farther beyond the needle, as represented in thedrawings. By this arrangement the needle is caused to come down in thecenter of the plait without regard to its width.

The sliding blade-carrier is provided with an arm, (1, which projectsacross the line of feed, and to which the ruffiingblade is attached.

The supporting-frame also has a projecting arm, h, from which theportion 0 is split and bent downward, (see Fig. 1,) to afford attachmentfor the spring-blade I.

In Fig..12 I have represented a modification in which the blade-carrierG is attached to the adjustable pivot Z by means of the pivotedconnection m, a suitable guide, a", being employed on the frame, ifdesired, to secure the blade-carrier in place.

I claim 1. The combination, with a sewing-machine needle-bar carryingstud or roller a, of the supporting-frame E, the sliding blade-carrierG, serrated rattling-blade H, and the swinging lever O, pivoted to theframe behind the needle-bar, and arranged to vibrate horizontally acrossthe line of feed, and provided with the arm j, and the slotted plate 19,located between the needle-bar and the presserbar, and a suitableadjustable pivotal connection between the arm j and the blade-carrier,substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a sewingmachine needle-bar carrying projectiona, of the supporting-frame E, the sliding blade-carrier G, serratedrufl'lingblade H, and the horizontallyswinging lever O, pivoted to thesupport ing-frame and provided with inclined slot 1), having straightends 0 0, and a suitable connection between the lever and the slidingbladecarrier, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. The combination, with asewing-machine needle-bar carrying projection11., of the supporting-frame E, the horizontally-swinging 1ever 0,pivoted to the supporting-frame and provided with inclined slot I) andarm 3', and the sliding blade-carrier G, serrated ruffling blade H, andan adjustable pivotal connection between the lever and theblade-carrier, arranged to be adjusted at an angle with the line offeed, substantial] y as and for the purposes set forth. v

' 4. The combination, with a sewingmachine needle-bar carryingprojection 11., of the supporting-frame E, the sliding blade-carrier G,provided with slot .1, serrated rufl'ling-blade H, and thehorizontally-swinging lever G, pivoted to the supporting-frame andprovided with inclined slot 7), adjusting-screw i, pivot Z, and slidingblock w, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

GEO. H. SPRING.

- /vitnesses:

J A0013 SPAHN, H. G. PHILLIPS.

